Friday, September 26, 2008

Flu shot time again, people

…You will be seeing those lines in the grocery store any time.

…Officially, the Centers for Disease Control recommends shots for kids older than 6 months and up until their 19th birthday, pregnant women, people over 50, and people of any age with chronic medical conditions. If you work in a long-term care place or nursing home, get a shot.

…As for the nasal spray form, this is not for people over 50 or under 2 years of age.

…In case you teens and young adults though you were skating, this year there is enough vaccine for you, too.

…Each year, the scientists try to figure out which strains of flu are coming. This is kind of a highly educated crapshoot. This year, all three strains were changed—this means it’s a good match, they say. Last year, two of the three strains in the stuff did not match what showed up.

…This year, there is enough vaccine to shoot up the school-age kids, who bring this stuff home and spread it around.

…About 20% of the population gets the flu each winter. Don’t be in that number. The vaccine could help.

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I am a long-time freelance health and science reporter, screenwriter, and blogger. My work has appeared in venues from the Costco Connection to Washingtonian and WebMD. I also used to teach creativity at the Smithsonian.